CFTC to Host Cryptocurrency CEO Forum to Discuss Digital Asset Market Pilot Program

On January 18, CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost noted that Bitcoin’s next key hurdle is reclaiming the cost basis for early long-term holders (6–12 months), currently around $101,000. Long-term holders with 12–18 months of tenure have a cost basis of ~$81,700, acting as a critical support level. If Bitcoin falls into this range, these holders are likely to hold their positions. Investors who bought near Bitcoin’s January 2025 high are still holding their positions. On the upside, resistance sits around $114,650—tied to the cost basis of short-term holders (3–6 months). This group accumulated heavily near recent highs, so a return to this level could prompt some to sell at their breakeven point.

On January 18, Etherscan data revealed that the Ethereum network’s daily transaction count hit an all-time high on January 16, totaling 2.88 million transactions.

On January 18, per monitoring by HyperInsight (via its Telegram channel @HyperInsight), the total value of long positions held by the “BTC OG Insider Whale” is approximately $910 million. The whale has already paid over $7.5 million in funding fees, while its unrealized gains have narrowed to $44.9 million—down from a previous peak above $60 million. As of press time, the unrealized gains for the whale’s positions are as follows: - $741 million in ETH long positions: $35.14 million in unrealized gains; - $95.12 million in BTC long positions: $3.61 million in unrealized gains; - $72.73 million in SOL long positions: $6.14 million in unrealized gains.

As of January 18th, per HyperInsight monitoring, **Brother Ma** (Huang Licheng) added ~$246,000 to his ZEC long position over the past 3 hours. This additional stake lowered his average cost basis from $415 to $411.29, leaving a current unrealized loss of $48,100 on ZEC. Meanwhile, he partially took profits on his HYPE and ETH long positions, netting a small gain. He still holds long positions in ETH, ZEC, and HYPE perpetual contracts, with a total position value of nearly $45 million. Breakdown: - ETH long: $34.87 million, unrealized profit of $862,000 - HYPE long: $8.43 million, unrealized profit of $130,000 His cumulative unrealized profit over the past week has exceeded $2.538 million.

Tom Lee (db-test): Bitcoin Set to Reach an All-Time High This Year, Ethereum Expected to Outperform Bitcoin

**On January 18, BitMine Chairman and Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee told CNBC in an interview:** - "January’s first five trading days of gains are a positive sign for the full year, lifting the S&P 500’s upside potential to 7700 points." - "Recent volatility across financial, broader market, and crypto sectors partially stems from policy: Washington is pushing to cap credit card rates. If enacted, this would weaken financial institutions’ ability to lend to diverse consumers—hitting the sector." - "Progress on the ‘Clarity Act’ is bullish for crypto. The market took a heavy hit last October, so we expect a meaningful recovery as we move past that impact point." - "We’re bullish on Bitcoin (likely to hit a new all-time high this year) and even more optimistic on Ethereum, which we forecast to outperform Bitcoin."